Jonelle DeFrang, 36 of Thief River Falls, MN passed away suddenly on Monday, December 13, 2021 at Sanford Medical Center in Thief River Falls.

Celebration of Life service for Jonelle will be at 11:00 AM Saturday, December 18, 2021 at Zion Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. Mark Helgeland officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a 7:00 PM Prayer Service on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Zion Lutheran Church and one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Thief River Falls, MN.

Jonelle Marie Swanson was born July 14, 1985 in Thief River Falls, MN the daughter of Mark and Virginia (Knutson) Swanson. She was baptized and confirmed at Silver Creek Lutheran Church, rural Thief River Falls. Jonelle attended Northrop Elementary, Challenger Elementary, Franklin Middle School and graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 2003. She then attended Northland Community & Technical College in Thief River Falls where she graduated with an Associates Degree.

On July 4, 2004, Jonelle went on her first date with Matt DeFrang. Their friendship quickly turned into best friends, and the couple were married September 20, 2008 at Zion Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. They celebrated their honeymoon at the Riviera Maya, Mexico. They settled in Thief River Falls with their dogs, Paige & Gillian. Over the next couple of years, they enjoyed trips back to Mexico, California, and Las Vegas. Nine months after their anniversary, on June 19, 2011, they were blessed with their beautiful daughter, Ella and on the same date, June 19, 2015 their beautiful son, Wyatt was born. They couldn't ask for a better mother.

In her younger years, Jonelle worked at K-Mart and Diamonds & Designs. For the past 15 years she worked at Digi-Key in Data Management. She was very good at her job and understanding how to answer other people's questions, figure out problems, which led to her accepting a job as a Trainer.

Jonelle was lovingly known as "Jo" or "Little Jo". She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and loved her family and friends dearly. Jonelle would do anything for anyone and would drop what she was doing to help. She would put everything, and everybody's needs and wants before hers. She was very organized with her spreadsheets, sticky notes everywhere, day planner, her phone; she always had "the plan."

Jonelle enjoyed reading in the porch, talking, hair & nails, making slime and baking with Ella.

Jonelle enjoyed coloring, snuggling, reading, playing nerf guns and Legos with Wyatt.

She was known for her Special-K bars and everybody had to stay out of the kitchen when she was making them.

Jonelle loved being with her family, having coffee, deer hunting with her dad & siblings, (she was known as "Annie Oakley" because she was an excellent markswoman and was known for needing only one shot), fishing, loved taking pictures of her husband & kids, scrapbooking with her mom & sister, camping in their Ice Castle at different campgrounds in Minnesota, and running with Matt and her family with the kids hockey. Jonelle, Ella and Wyatt loved rocking out in the car on the way to school together and texting Matt their fun photos. Jonelle loved visiting and could easily make a two-minute conversation into an hour.

She could be described as strong, selfless, funny, honest, helpful, loving, caring, and wasn't afraid to use the F-Bomb.

Survivors include her husband, Matt; children, Ella & Wyatt; parents, Mark & Virginia all of Thief River Falls; sister, Jenny (Casey) Olson of East Grand Forks, MN; brother, Jared (Monica) Swanson of Thief River Falls; grandmother, Vivian Knutson of Thief River Falls; nieces & nephews, Kendra, Blake, Audrey, Abby, Chloe, Kylee, Koral, Lexi & Aubree;  mother-in-law, Vicki Antonio in Arkansas; brother-in-law, Nick DeFrang of Thief River Falls; sister-in-law, Melissa DeFrang of Fargo, ND; grandmothers-in-law, Carol DeFrang and Arlene Eggers; and many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by grandparents, Harley Knutson, Clarence & Norma Swanson; father-in-law, David DeFrang.